6 Ways to fix the Detroit Lions

The Detroit Lions are playing hard this year. In fact the Lions have been competitive in just about all the games they have played this year until their recent debacle against the Patriots on Thanksgiving Day. But playing hard and being close in games doesn’t necessarily translate to victories. The Lions this season are once again not going to make it to the playoffs. But this team can be fixed to compete in the near future. Lets find out how!

6 Steps:

1. Resign QB Shaun Hill:

Hill has played decent this year with the talent he has. Matthew Stafford career looks to be short with multiple season ending shoulder injuries.

2. Find another starting receiver opposite Calvin “Megatron” Johnson:

Nate Burleson is decent but more of a slot receiver. He is too inconsistent although this season he is having a decent year (40 catches for 468 yards). Well those stats represent a slot receiver, which is what I been saying before the season started that Burleson is a slot receiver, not a no. 2 receiver.

3. Retool the offensive line:

LT Jeff Backus is having a good year but is 33 years old. LG Rob Sims has talent but doesn’t play with a nasty streak and isn’t powerful in run blocking. RG Stephen Peterman is a player I never been a fan of, he makes too many mental mistakes. This line is lacking some dominant blockers.

4. Defensive Line needs to be more consistent:

Rookie DT Suh is having a great year, but needs to be more consistent. RE Kyle Vanden Bosch is having a decent year but has struggled in a lot of games against powerful lineman. His explosiveness has disappeared as well. Once again this line can be dominant but n eeds to be more consistent. DE Cliff Avril and Lawrence Jackson are up and down and need to get bigger and stronger. Their frame is too fragile.

5. LB core needs to be revamped:

This LB unit has some talent but doesn’t always play up to its potential and misses way too many tackles. OLB Ashlee Palmer has speed but whiffs on too many plays and plays out of position too much. 46 tackles on the season with no sacks will not cut it. MLB Landon Johnson is serviceable at best. The Lions are high on MLB DeAndre Levey but he has been injured quite a bit this season. He has good speed. OLB veteran Julian Peterson play has slipped some due to his age and injuries.

6. Secondary is garbage, yep I said it:

CB Alphonso Smith had one of the worse games ever played by a professional corner. Tom Brady and the Patriots offense torched him all game as he surrender 3 touchdowns to WR Deion Branch. I mean come on we all know Branch is a solid player but he made him look like Jerry Rice. But Smith quietly has had a decent season with 5 interceptions. To me he is best suited as a nickel-back. Chris Houston is a decent corner with speed but he rarely makes enough plays. I’ve seen too many highlights of him on the ground looking up at the WR going into the end zone for a touchdown. This team has a bunch of nickel corners and no true cover corners, a bunch of castoffs who should be playing in the AFL or CFL. Go draft or bring in some veteran cover corners, hint: sign Jonathan Joseph and over pay for him, you have the money Detroit!